Sir John’s Bungalow - Riverston, Sri Lanka | A Holiday in The Misty Mountains of Sri Lanka

The bungalow is located about 180 kms north east from Colombo. if you are coming from Kandy. It is about 60kms north east.

This is a colonial bungalow built by the British during the colonial era as a residence for the Superintendent of the 1,300 acre tea estate, the Bungalow was once the holiday home of Sir John Kotalawala, the third Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. Tea cultivation was abandoned thirty years ago Since the area is within the Knuckles conservation zone.

The Bungalow retains its old-world charms including fireplaces in the living and dining rooms. All bedrooms feature king-sized beds, elegant teak floors, and attached bathrooms with hot water showers. The two suites have bathtubs. All together there are 8 rooms. It provides you with solar power and in room USB charging ports. A separate charging station is there to charge your mobile phones and camera batteries.

The verandah has a dining area with stunning views of the Knuckles mountain range. During mid-day, and in the afternoon views are crystal clear with a blue sky and different shades of greenery on the mountains. Early mornings and late afternoons will make your views misty changing your mood!

Food is amazing. They serve Srilankan meals as well as western meals.

Do not forget to see the sun rise. This is the ideal place if you are into nature, wildlife, trekking and hiking. Wild buffaloes are in abundance.
Biodiversity here is at it's best. Road conditions are acceptable and a car can reach there easily. For sightseeing around the bungalow, you can get a tuk tuk.

If you'd like to go out, Make sure to bring some leech repellent or leech socks. We did a bit of sightseeing around the bungalow.

The staff is one of the best. Very friendly, helpful, caring and cheerful.

Apart from sightseeing, we did a walk in the village, a hike in a unique grassland called Pitawala Pathana to the mini-world's end and a river bath.

River bath and endemic fish
   • A Walk Through a Village Exploring Na...  

Hike in Pitawala Pathana(Video will be available soon)